Halfway in

 Rico got back on at the skating rink two weeks before school started. It was only for the weekends. He had taken Gabe and Sammie there. Rico forgot how he missed it. Of course, Liv didn't know how to skate and she was a real bummer for the night. Despite that, it all felt so refreshing and the manager remembered him and told him he could teach skating lessons on Saturday mornings and then work the evening and all of Sunday. He quit the grocery store. 

"Are things really over with you and Liv?" Even Sammie noticed how distant she was.

"Hard to say," Rico shrugged. He winced thinking they were both turning their relationship into just one thing and he hated to see it happen, but of course, he wanted to be there for her. Yet, it felt what was left was just the sex and of course, that happened so rarely. 

He hated to say it felt like an avalanche of emptiness. Maybe he was no better with Liv than it had been wondering what to do about Mona. He couldn't help but think about her since he'd met her at the skating rink all so long ago. Even then, he knew Mona had a lot to figure out about herself. He now thought this way about Liv too.

Naturally, it all ended in an argument one Sunday morning.

"I think you should move back home," Rico said about her being at his house. "There is no need for you to be here. You have parents." Rico thought he was a pretty bad actor in saying all this, but he knew she needed to move on because she was never satisfied these days. Plus, there was a discussion with his Dad over Bren's dad. He felt her dad should move in so Bren and Mario could have a chance to be alone. The house would be crowded. Would Liv be upset about that too?

Before he knew it, she was yelling at him. "Fine! Be that way!"

She was in a stomp. Of course, everything went back to Tristan. It was as if it was all his doing.

"Look, you don't even have a car," Rico reminded her. "I tried all of last year and the summer too, for you to get your driver's license." Really, it felt like the right thing to do. Had he been enabling her all along and didn't even know it? 

"I love you, but I want you to be happy too." He knew he didn't make her happy. It made him sad.

Truly, it felt good to be on the floor of the skating rink again. It took his mind off Liv and of course, all those kids gathered around wanting to be at ease on skates as he was. Yes, this was his happy place. He was tired of being miserable. He hoped he hadn't made Liv too miserable.

"No, no..you did the right thing," Tristan said when Rico's Dad called about Liv. Actually, it was the first time Tristan heard about Bren's dad and then he made the connection of who he was exactly. 

Of course, it was the Liv situation he needed to take care of first. After all, he could bring her home. Oh, she was in a mood and really he was the last person she expected to see, but their mom told him it would be best if he could at least bring her things home.

It was just a few boxes. Mainly clothes and books. She left her photos of her and Rico behind, but Tristan took at least one of the photos thinking she might want to see it some day.

He hated to be alone with her, because it might horrify her, as if she might think the worst so he brought Dale along. 

"I am the worst," he let Dale know before they went to get Liv and her things at Rico's. "It's probably my fault she ended up there anyway." He told Dale how his little sister used to live with Bren. He also confided in Dale that he'd learned who Holden's sister was.

Of course, Dale only wanted to talk about Holden. "You mean, Bren's his sister? How did you know?"

"My mom knew." He shrugged on the drive to get Liv. Funny, he felt teary-eyed but he wasn't crying.  Naturally, he didn't know who upset him the most. Was it Holden or was it Liv?